NEWS January 2019 Blacksburg Chapter Serving the Greater New River Valley, VA Jan. 15 Chapter Meeting President’s Column by Jerry Niles Upcoming Events Are genetic technologies A thank-you note to AARP Blacksburg Jan. 8, LLI registration begins changing what it means to be Feb. 2, Tax-Aide program begins human? by Rebecca Hester appy New year! I hope that this New Year will Feb. 19, AARP program, Dancing dvances in genetic technologies, es- be filled with oppor- bees bioindicate habitats’ ability Htunities for you to continue to feed pollinators pecially synthetic biology, promise such things as eternal life, “super- to age successfully and that Aintelligence,” and designer babies, but can your local AARP Chapter can Bring your plastic bags and do they deliver on their promises? be an important resource for More importantly, should they? you in that process. One of to the Community the first tasks for my new year This talk will introduce some of the most Center for recycling is to write my first president’s cutting-edge genetic technologies being When you come to the AARP column for the Newsletter. Doing something for undertaken in the United States and will meeting Jan. 15, bring your the first time always seems to be challenging. explore the ethics, politics, and economics plastic bags to deposit in the Thus, I thought I would start with something easy. of pursuing them. bin by the door. Plastic may I would like to frame this column as a thank- include shopping and mailing The presentation will give participants you note to the AARP Chapter of Blacksburg. I bags, sleeves for magazines, food a better sense of the ways in which “life expressed some of my appreciation for the gifts packaging (bread, carrots, deli itself” is being altered and for what/whose that have come to me from my membership in items). The bags should be clean. purposes. It sill also provide information the Chapter in my closing remarks at our Holiday Remove paper from them. on ideas regarding what it means to be hu- Luncheon in December, and I would like to ex- man and what is the purpose of healthcare pand and specify those remarks more completely Pay your dues online are changing in the “biotech century.” in this column. or on paper Rebecca Hester As I moved from my work life into my retire- is Assistant ment life, it became clear to me that I needed to If you have not yet renewed Professor find new sources of meaningfulness in my life. your membership for 2019, you of Science, Replacing the meaningfulness that is represented can use the form on the last Technology, in one’s life work is no small task. Some people page of this newsletter and mail and Society at plan well and have a sensible path laid out, others in a check. Virginia Tech. not so much. I was not sure what that path would OR, you can go online to be for me, but I was confident I would find it. I blacksburgaarp.org/ must confess though that I had underestimated how big the task would be to replace the mean- There you can either down- November Pet Food Drive Results ingfulness that came from my work. I did have load a form to mail in with your three principles that created a framework to guide check or you can pay with a At our first pet food drive at our November my search. I had to be able to do what I wanted, meeting, we collected 60 bags of pet credit card. when I wanted, and how much I wanted. Second, food, several bags of litter, and $150 in I wanted to be able to use my skill set but con- Local dues are only $15 for cash. Drivers for Meals on Wheels will tinue to learn new things. Third, I wanted to do an individual or household. distribute the food. Shannon Hammond things that would serve the needs of others when You need to be a member of the of the Agency on Aging told us that some possible. Armed with these principles my retire- national organization to belong homebound seniors are feeding their own ment years so far have been a rich exploration of to the local chapter. meals to their pets because they cannot the unknown and brought me new experiences afford pet food. We can help solve the Go here to join national: that I never could have anticipated. AARP Blacks- problem. www.aarp.org/membership/ burg has been a big part of that journey. The picture at the top of this page shows members with the food they donated. please turn to p. 3 Holiday Luncheon and Awards 2018 Photos by Peter Magolda more at adlogam.smugmug.com/Organizations/AARP/n-49pk5B/ Pat Hyer receives statewide Andrus Award for Community Service The annual Andrus Award for Community Service is AARP’s most prestigious and visible volunteer award. It recognizes individuals who are sharing their experience, talent, and skills to enrich their communities in ways that are consistent with AARP’s mission, vi- sion, and commitment to volunteer service, and that inspire others to volunteer. Only one Virginia volunteer can receive the Award. Pat Hyer of the Blacksburg chapter is this year’s Andrus Award recipient. Since retirement from Virginia Tech in 2010, Pat has become a full-time volunteer for mul- tiple community organizations and a leader in major projects impacting the quality of life for residents of the New River Val- ley. Pat’s contributions to four important boards have been transformational: AARP Blacks- Coreen Mett receives the Community burg Chapter, the Community Spirit Award for serving as treasurer Health Center of the New River of the Radford Association of Retired Valley, the Lifelong Learning Employees, maintaining the list of Institute at Virginia Tech, and donors at the Christmas Store, helping the Community Foundation of refugee families with their tax returns the New River Valley. Her work in the Tax-Aide program, and serving for these organizations has been as statewide counselor, instructor, and technology coordinator in the Tax-Aide both substantial and generative, program. Pat Hyer with Jerry Niles, who drafted the nomination making measurable differences in human lives and modeling for others creative and dynamic ways of working collaboratively to enact change. Pat Hyer is the quintessential engaged citizen and, for many, the mentor who showed them the way. Jennie Reilly receives the Chapter Service Award for coordinating the 2018 Health and Wellness Fair, including working with more than 100 volunteers and community Pat Hyer (center) is the 5th member of the Blacksburg Chapter to receive the statewide Andrus partners. They recruited 140 Award. Other recipients (L-R) include Virgil Cook (2015), Ben Crawford (2007), and Don Creamer presenters, attracted 430 visitors, (2016). Carl McDaniels (not pictured) also won the award. Brian Jacks, Associate Director of AARP and managed logistics. Proceeds for SW Virginia, joins them (pictured on the right). of $6,739 will support charitable giving over the next two years. Blacksburg Chapter #2613 Jan. 2019 • Page 2 President’s Message, continued • Being inspired by Sandy Birch’s invocations that remind me When I joined AARP Blacksburg five years ago, it was not in such a remarkable way of the meaningfulness of the hu- because of some specific need I had to become part of an orga- man condition and my place in it. nization or that it was compatible with the guiding principles for • Being able to relish and consume one of Thais Beams’ fresh my retirement. Rather it was in response to an invitation from a Carol Lee Donuts without feelings of guilt. couple of members who were deeply involved in the leadership • Watching someone win $23 in a 50/50 drawing who has of the chapter and nurturing the development of the member- never won anything in a drawing in her or his life. ship and the engagement of the chapter in issues that were relevant to the lives of seniors in the New River Valley. Concur- • Participating in one of Sally Anna Stapleton’s creative food rently, I happened to be working with a group of folks who were drives to support mothers or seniors with pets. conceptualizing the formation of a lifelong learning institute • Listening to programs that keep me informed on relevant is- in our community. Not surprisingly, we found many elements sues in my life like staying safe online and how to age in place of mutual interest and benefit and were able to forge a partner- successfully. ship between the Blacksburg Chapter and the emerging Lifelong • Viewing the incredible photos taken by Peter Magolda that Learning Institute at Virginia Tech around the theme of living capture the spirit of community and positive attitudes toward well, 50+. These two complementary adventures have enriched aging successfully that are reflected in the faces of chapter my retirement years in surprising ways. In fact, lately I have members during our meetings and events. come to the conclusion that one of the most pleasant surprises of my retirement has been my participation in the AARP Blacks- In addition to the good feelings about successful aging that burg Chapter. As I have thought about why this has been such come from the monthly meetings, I have appreciated the numer- a pleasant surprise, I have become aware of just how much the ous opportunities in the Blacksburg Chapter service portfolio to chapter has given to me over these five years. My reflections on work collaboratively with members on projects that are focused these gifts is what gives rise to my need to write this thank-you on supporting others in the community in their efforts to age note.